Exercise. If you’re my patient you may have wondered why I haven’t emphasized this more. Well the truth is, it’s because a long time ago I committed to never recommending to patients, something I wasn’t willing or doing myself. I vividly remember sitting across from a fat physician who was telling me about healthy dietary habits because my cholesterol was slightly elevated. Never mind his recommendation was to stop using olive oil and incorporate more canola oil into my diet, and the fact that my cholesterol was elevated because of a poorly managed thyroid problem.

Beside the point but I couldn’t resist. What I mean is, I’m not down to sit back and hand out advice like candy at a parade, for something I’m not committed to myself.I used to work out 6 days a week. It changed my life. My mood, my energy, vitality, and the way I viewed life was on point, but during my second pregnancy everything changed. Despite having worked out full throttle my with my first pregnancy, the next one wouldn’t even allow me to stand on my feet in one position for 5 minutes. When I was 6 months pregnant and flew across the country with my toddler to meet my husband on tour (the music kind not the war kind, thankfully), I had to take a wheelchair through the Austin airport. If you know how small the Austin airport is, you’ll know how bad off I was. My body couldn’t even handle the metabolic requirements for daily living, much less exercise. And don’t even go there, this was not a will power thing, believe me. So during the entirety of my pregnancy I deteriorated physically and since the birth of our Baby Rose, I haven’t tried to reset. I could give a million excuses as to why, many are super legitimate but ultimately, I would try to regroup on an exercise program and would fail miserably. If I’m being super honest “failing” would mean I ended up rushing to the bathroom to vomit, followed by a solid 20 minutes of bathroom floor bonding while flat on my back with my feet comfortably resting on a seat- at times even a toilet seat. My body has a hard time figuring out what to do with exercise. It always has. So its difficult for me to determine how hard to push myself in a workout, and it honestly just became so discouraging. But I knew I had come to a Y in the road: either I would continue down this path of health in so many aspects of my life, while still being unable to comfortably hike up a hill with my daughters, or I would need to find a program that would give me the tools to change my path.I did. I decided to join the “Transformation” program at a place called Body by Frame. They have a long-standing reputation for success in changing people’s exercise game in Austin (and actually Dallas now as well). The “Transformation Program” is the most intense that they offer and it lasts for three months. I mean, why not dive in fully, McCall? I was scared out of my mind walking in on day one, three weeks ago, but I began feeling and seeing the effects within the first week. Their method of support and accountability is a game changer. I essentially have a personal trainer for each structured workout to assist, teach and modify each exercise according to my needs and abilities. They have several there but I have the same one each day because I go at the same times. His name is Anthony. Seriously, he’s amazing. He makes a person who is extremely uncomfortable in a gym type environment, feel completely at ease. He is the perfect balance of 100% encouraging and also delicately nudges me to push myself. I’m not sure what the other trainers are like, but if they are 1/8th as good as Anthony, Frame is better for it. My diet is also closely monitored and accounted for so that I can get the best results possible. For those of you who know me personally or professionally, my diet knowledge is on point already, but this takes it to the next level to facilitate a balance of fat loss and muscle building. The diet component is again, part of the Transformation Program and not a component of the general gym membership. Thus far, I’m halfway to my goal and literally feel stronger almost by the day. I’m also using some Xymogen supplement products that have helped increase my workout potential and muscle building but I will save that for another blog. If you’re anxious to get your hands on them, you can email info@modernmedicineaustin.com and I’ll get you the deets.So long story short, I encourage you to find your own system of successful exercise. I know for me, mine is working wonders and I can’t wait to see how strong I’ll be at the end of the program. If you’d like to join me, or Body By Frame, they have so generously offered a discount to my readers and patients of 20% off of any form of membership for their Austin location. Simply give them the code #YEAROFSTRONG. Find out more at http://bodybyframe.com/. Join me on my #yearofstrong. I’d love to see you and see some familiar faces at Frame and my hilarious lack of coordination should be incentive enough to join in on the fun. Be well and be strong,McCall

I have searched high a low for the perfect chemical free floor cleaner. I've found 1 of 3 problems with each one I've tried: they actually aren't harmless in their makeup, they don't work well, or they don't make my house smell "so fresh and so clean.." You know what I mean, right? Well I've made one up myself and it hold up to my (I guess high) standards. Added bonus: it's super easy to make and can also be used on hardwoods.

Simply combine 1 cup white vinegar with warm water in a 2 gallon bucket. Add seven drops of peppermint essential oil and seven drops of orange essential oil. And mop until your hearts content! You can certainly change up the oils but darn these sure smell good.

I like to start with a well-rounded base. Most likely your doctor will only start with TSH as a screening tool but if you feel like you are suffering from the classic case of thyroid symptoms, ask him/her for a deeper look. The main symptoms include:-fatigue -brain fog -depression -low sex drive -dry skin -brittle nails -hair loss or brittle hair -unexplained aches and pains -constipation

Stay tuned to the blog, I will post about the lab reference ranges I use soon!~McCall

Now that we know what labs to order for a proper thyroid workup, let's talk about thyroid ranges for these. I always let patients know that these lab ranges do not operate in a vacuum. Basically, this means I look at them from a functional perspective. How are they working (or not working) together and are things working properly and efficiently?But at the same time I think it's important that you have a rough idea of what numbers we're looking and aiming for. TSH: I like this below 2.0, especially if someone is on thyroid medication, even more so if they are on natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) medications. Examples of these are nature-throid, armour thyroid and WP thyroid. This is the least important lab to me when someone is on thyroid medication but it's often the only lab that is checked (unfortunately!). Free T4: I like this greater than 1 and up to around 2. Free T3: This is the most important number. Generally I like this between 3-4, even up to 4.5. This number will vary with NDT depending on how long before getting labs drawn you took your medicine. Ideally labs would be drawn 3-4 hours after your last medication dose. Reverse T3: My range for this is below 15 but some people vie for less than 12. Antibodies: I generally utilize the normal lab range for these and they seem to work just fine. What else do you need answers for?~McCall

These muffins are#Paleo approved but considered SWYPO by @Whole30. But they may be the most delicious I've had. I developed this recipe myself and couldn't wait to share it with you all. Say goodbye to your soggy paleo muffins and hello to deliciousness!Makes about 10 muffins.

Instructions:-Preheat your oven to 350.-Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl from wet. -In mixing bowl beat eggs and add in the banana, applesauce and beat until fluffy and uniform, 1-2 minutes on medium.-Then add in the carrot slices and mix for 30 seconds. -After this begin slowly adding in the dry mixture while continuing to mix, beat until uniform then allow the mixture to rest around 5 minutes to allow the chia seeds to absorb moisture.--While the mixture is sitting, place a thing layer of coconut oil inside each of your muffin dividers to prevent sticking. I use plastic wrap or a sandwich bag.-Remix once more for 1 minute or so and place in the muffin tin evenly.-Cook for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Magnesium is something I use frequently in my practice, and in my life. I've had patients tell me it single-handedly changed their lives. But what does this little old element do for people exactly? Well, quite a lot actually.

First off, there are several formulations of magnesium and the form you're taking could not be more important. Most magnesium you buy at your local pharmacy is formulated for one simple thing, to help relieve constipation. Hey, I'm not downplaying the miserable nature of this ailment, but you can get more bang for your buck if you invest in a different form. Standard pharmacy magnesium pulls water into your gut allowing a good flush out result but if you buy magnesium citrate , I find it is a perfect balance of pulling water into your gut but more importantly, absorbing into your bloodstream.This is when things get interesting, when it makes its way to your brain a few remarkable things happen. First off, it promotes the release of GABA, your relaxation neurotransmitter and it blocks glutamate receptors, the excitatory neurotransmitter people with anxiety battle. In short, it works a lot like a valium in these ways. All the while still relieving constipation but in a much more gentle fashion.So who needs magnesium? I find most people are deficient and can benefit from it simply because of the lack of well rounded nutrient intake in the foods we eat. If you have these three symptoms, you can bet you're deficient: anxiety, constipation, and muscle tension. For anxiety, I tell people they can take on an as needed basis, much like they would a valium. It takes around 45 minutes to kick in, lasts 3-4 hours and there's no compromise in cognition like there would be with a valium. Not to mention no risk for addiction. You can even dose multiple times during the day. For insomnia, I have patients take a higher dose about an hour before bed and is excellent for the mid-night awakeners as it only lasts a few hours and if need be, you can still wake up a couple hours later with no significant lasting fatigue. Or the occasional person experiencing restless leg syndrome can certainly benefit. Sound to good to be true? Give some a try but brands and formulations do matter. The kind I have had the most success with is Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate and you can find it in the store on my website. Be well-live well,

This is a repost and transfer from my old blog, so if you're a long-time follower, please excuse the repetition..

Sometimes the ugly parts we see in others, are actually the parts we find most ugly in ourselves.

I don't like it when people criticize others' methodologies of parenting but I simply can't deny the gut reaction I had this week. My husband and I were on a flight to Miami for a cruise and were sans kiddos so I think my mama heart was a bit more raw than usual.

There was a couple behind us with a girl about the age of our eldest, two. She was actually doing pretty darn fantastic but on numerous occasions I heard her parents snapping at her. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize their remarks were audible in at least a 3 row radius thanks to their headphones. Repeatedly I heard and felt the hiss in their voice. And maybe it was just my raw mama heart, but I heard a little bit more of her spirit get crushed with each retort. The fathers words were inciting fear from his little girl. This had become their norm.

It hurt me. Like it physically hurt me. I wanted to turn around and say to them in my most condemning voice, "don't talk to your daughter like that!" Pull back the reigns mama, totally not my place. But I wanted to tell them they were hurting their little girl. They were crushing her little spirit that was theirs to build.While I (thankfully) sat quietly I thought to myself, why am I having such an emotional reaction to this? It's not like they were abusing her. In reality, their responses were well within the confines of normal parent behavior. Why was my heart so sensitive to it?Then I realized it's because I could see some of myself in those parents.I've been short. And frustrated. And impatient. I've crushed my daughters brilliant spirit on more than one occasion.Damn that hurts to write.

I guess sometimes, the ugly parts we see in others are really just a reflection of the parts of ourselves we hate the most. And I hate that part of myself. But I can use this as a reminder of the kind of parent I want to be. I can be grateful to the people sitting behind me on the plane. Unknowingly they have pushed me to find ways of being patient, loving, slow to respond. Non-reactionary. To find a parenting style that is love-based instead of fear-based.

To remember to try to see a little bit of myself in those around me.~McCall